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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29053590">After You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtIrrelevant/pseuds/LtIrrelevant'>LtIrrelevant</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate SG-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:13:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29053590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtIrrelevant/pseuds/LtIrrelevant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two Hearts. A lingering promise. Neither has any idea how, but together they'll figure it out.</p><p>[Sam/Janet]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Samantha "Sam" Carter/Janet Fraiser</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>After You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After You<br/>By LtIrrelevant w/FeelGoodAche</p><p><br/>Just wanna dance with you all night<br/>When everyone has their disguise<br/>I'll show you my heart is real<br/>I'll show you how this could feel</p><p>This moment shaking in my hands<br/>I'll share this secret for a chance<br/>Just to be here with you<br/>Just to get lost with you</p><p>When it's cold, I just wanna feel your touch<br/>When it's cold, there's nobody else I'd rather know</p><p>I'm falling in deep<br/>Do you already know my love is after you?<br/>I'm falling in deep<br/>Do you already know my love is after you?</p><p>After You<br/>By Meg Myers</p><p> </p><p>[Janet: Forbidden Fruit]</p><p>Accept it, Janet. You've fallen for the wrong Doctor. Hard.</p><p>But it wasn't any fellow MD. Not even the PhD in Archeology, Daniel Jackson. In another life, maybe it could have been him.</p><p>My affections were reserved for the blonde Doctor of Astrophysics that was second in command of SG1: Major Samantha Carter.</p><p>Major Carter was the forbidden fruit that tempted me, testing my hunger and resolve. I had either patched her up or saved her life so often I had a cot medical bay I considered hers. She was always around in one way or another and had taken root in my heart.</p><p>She just didn't know it.</p><p>I craved her taste, though I was a stranger. I daydreamed of touching her intimately. My eyes wanted to see her when she was about to climax, to hear her scream my name.</p><p>It always ended with me sulking alone at home like now, late on a Friday evening, consumed by what I can't have because I was too scared to tell her.</p><p>She's Sam Carter and she's not for me.</p><p>The wine I moodily drank did its best to numb the disarray in my soul. Cassie was out with friends this weekend, so I had nothing but time and my thoughts. I zoned out until I was brought back by the sound of a familiar engine pulling into my driveway. My senses perked up.</p><p>Sam's bike.</p><p>I really should be more careful of what I think about because it might just show up on my doorstep, I found myself thinking. That’s some ‘be careful what you wish for’ shit.</p><p>My breath hitched as the knock sounded, fast and urgent. I set my glass down and quickly wrenched the door open to address whatever emergency Sam brought. There was always something injured or possessing her.</p><p>"Sam?"</p><p>Those big, beautiful eyes locked onto mine searchingly, as if she’d left something there that she wanted to have returned.</p><p>"Janet." The way her mouth curved around those two syllables made me shiver. She made them sound like poetry. "Can I come in?"</p><p>I moved aside to permit her. She made her way to the living room, where she paced back and forth restlessly. I gazed at her, measuring her posture while she fretted.</p><p>"Are you alright?" I asked cautiously, worried about her unhinged look. At least she wasn't bleeding. This time.</p><p>"Do you remember when I was in a coma a couple of months ago?” She asked, looking into my eyes desperately. She was looking for something, but I had no idea what. She sighed. “When I was brain dead?"</p><p>“Of course I remember,” I replied with a bitter laugh, my stomach doing somersaults at the abhorred memories. That one was too close, Sam, even for you. “I’ve tried to forget.”</p><p>It was my worst failure as a Doctor. There was no way to help her and I nearly lost her. I was used to patching her up and bringing her back, but helplessness felt terrifying and foreign. That one was too close, Sam, even for me.</p><p>"I heard everything you said," Her eyes found mine, piercing and unapologetic. “When I was unconscious.”</p><p>"Everything?" The blood froze in my veins, my body went cold with sudden recognition. I flushed furiously with understanding. For a moment, I short-circuited. I had no words and no means of grasping at anything.</p><p>I know what I said. That’s what I'm terrified of.</p><p>"Everything," Sam replied, nodding her head for emphasis.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>She took a step closer to me.</p><p>"You poured your heart out to me," Sam continued, a smile creeping into her lovely features. She lit up as she continued speaking. "You told me how you felt about me. That you'd give anything to have more time. You begged me to come back because you needed me."</p><p>You weren’t supposed to hear that. You were dying and I...was desperate. I didn’t want you to leave without knowing how I felt.</p><p>"Sam, I--” I sputtered uselessly, still unable to find the words. I stared down at my feet stupidly.</p><p>Another step closer. My eyes studied the floor as they’d never done before.</p><p>"Did you mean it or was it bullshit?" she asked, refusing my pathetic excuse for a denial. I just stood there, mute and motionless. She sighed in frustration and barrelled on. “Damnit, Jan, how do you feel?”</p><p>She stood before me, and it occurred to me: I had nowhere to hide. Her hand reached out and lifted my chin, willing me to meet her eyes.</p><p>"Janet," she softly said, a slight catch in her voice. "I need you to tell me if you meant it. If you're really in love with me."</p><p>I closed my eyes and drew in a long breath.</p><p>"Why now, Sam?” I asked, my throat clogged uselessly with emotion. I felt like the cornered animal I’d been at her bedside when I’d let those words spill out of me like so much blood I felt I was losing. Even after all this time, the pain remained. Oh, Sam, don’t shatter me. I’m not bulletproof. “After three months?"</p><p>"Because I needed time,” she said softly. I opened my eyes and met hers. “I needed to be sure."</p><p>"Sure of what?" I wearily asked, furrowing my brows in confusion and fear. Her thumb caressed my cheek. What are you up to? My chest would explode if she kept touching me so sweetly without any explanation.</p><p>"That I should do this," Sam leaned down, slowly touching her lips to mine. My eyes fluttered close as we kissed. When she broke the kiss a few seconds later, I opened my eyes to see her beautiful blue eyes inspecting me. "I need to know if you meant what you said."</p><p>I mustered up the resolve and nodded. There was nowhere to run now. She had me in her clutches. I hovered over a precipice I was moments away from falling into, but the fall was thrilling and long-awaited.</p><p>"Yes. I meant it. I'm hopelessly in love with you."</p><p>A look of relief washed over the blonde and she let out a breath.</p><p>"Thank God," she whispered. She kissed me again and I grabbed onto her shoulders, holding on for dear life as the kiss deepened. Kissing her was better than I imagined, softer and gentler than I would have thought her capable. As the kiss broke, I brought my arms around her neck, just to be close. I'd never felt safer.</p><p>"This may be a dumb question,” I murmured against her neck as I rested my head on her shoulder. “How exactly do you feel about me?"</p><p>She chuckled and her hand began making circles on my lower back.</p><p>“Can I show you?”</p><p>“Is this a dream?” I frowned, filled with a cautious skepticism. “Am I going to wake up and this will disappear and I’ll be alone again?”</p><p>“It’s not a dream. I’m not going to disappear. I’ll be right there next to you when you wake up, if you let me.”</p><p>“Yes. I'd like that.” A broad smile crossed Sam’s face and she started leading me back towards my bedroom by the hand.</p><p>[Sam: Instructions Not Included]</p><p>As I led Janet into the bedroom, something occurred to me: I had no idea what I was doing. I felt like a tightrope walker inching into the wide open without a safety net below. I heard the wind whistling every time I tilted too close to either side. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t help but look down. Just once.</p><p>Sure, I had spent months thinking about how to get to this moment, how to approach her. I had a plan in my mind, and I had a few contingency plans too. It was supposed to be precise and scientific, but it didn’t exactly work out that way.</p><p>None of my carefully laid plans included ambushing her at home on a Friday night, but here I was, leading her by the hand into the bedroom jungle. I’m not the type to come unprepared, but I hadn’t expected to get this far. As we crossed the threshold to her room, I glanced back.</p><p>"Full disclosure," I said, my face flushing warmly with undeniable embarrassment. Janet met my eyes, saying without words that she already knew what I was about to confess. "I've never been with a woman before."</p><p>"Neither have I," Janet responded, stroking my cheek tenderly for a moment in a you’re so cute gesture. Then she shrugged, as if it didn’t bother her. "I was going to wing it and see what happened."</p><p>I laughed at the absurdity, then looked back towards Janet’s bed. It was perfectly made and would’ve passed military inspection any day. For some reason, the thought of defiling it put me off, but also kind of turned me on.</p><p>"So, do we-- " I started to say, but suddenly, Janet’s mouth caught mine with renewed enthusiasm, consuming hungrily, guiding me towards the bed as I shrugged off my leather jacket; it ended up under the bed. I slid off my combat boots and kicked them towards the wall.</p><p>"We'll figure it out," she murmured her response. Her hands found the bottom of my t-shirt and tugged insistently. A furious moment later, it adorned the floor, leaving me in my bra and jeans. She unhooked my bra and urgently threw it aside.</p><p>“It’s not a race, you know,” I said with a smile, taking in her frantic movements and charged energy. Our eyes met and she smiled sheepishly. She leaned forward, claiming my mouth and stealing another kiss before disengaging.</p><p>"Wait-- "</p><p>Janet blinked at me, the pupils of her chocolate eyes blown wide.</p><p>"What's wrong?" she asked.</p><p>"Nothing," I replied with a devilish smile. "It's just that you've seen me. I want to see you."</p><p>Grinning wildly, Janet reached down and pulled the sweatshirt over her head. It landed next to my shirt on the floor. I realized with a delicious shiver she wasn't wearing a bra. I almost groaned with desire as her breasts were revealed, her dog tags resting in the valley of her cleavage.</p><p>"Jesus, you're beautiful,” It sounded like a moan. She blushed, pushing me onto the bed, her hands finding the zipper of my jeans. She smiled sweetly as she slid them off in an aggressive manner, throwing them to the floor.</p><p>For the record, I don't regret forgoing underwear.</p><p>Janet unzipped her jeans, never breaking eye contact. She slid them down with slow, tortuous movements. I relished every swish and sway of her hips. She hooked her thumbs into either side of her panties, letting them skate teasingly down her hips until they fell to the floor. I took a moment to appreciate the view before she crawled into bed.</p><p>"I’m going to try something," she declared gently. I nodded, not caring what she did as long as she kept touching me. Her small hand tentatively brushed my nipple and made its way carefully down my abdomen, slowly tracing the curve of my hips.</p><p>"Jan," I groaned, biting down on my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, arching up into her welcome touch. Surprised but pleased by my reaction, her hands continued exploring. Even though she had touched me before, this was intimate and personal.</p><p>The touch of a lover.</p><p>"You're so soft," She murmured quietly, smiling happily as her confidence grew. She traced a finger along the delicate skin of my inner thigh. I shivered, feeling a tingle travel from my thigh and through my groin. She only had to touch me to get me going. I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. She could be the death of me, but didn’t the French describe every orgasm as le petite mort, the tiny death?</p><p>“You know just how to touch me,” I groaned helplessly, squirming under her ministrations, completely limp with longing. Her fingers now teased around my belly button. She smiled wickedly, tracing her tongue around my belly button, her deft fingers tracing patterns. My body jerked involuntarily, but I was shameless.</p><p>“I’ve put a lot of thought into what I’d do to you if I was ever lucky enough to get this close,” she replied, pressing a soft kiss just above my navel, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She lifted her thumb to my nipple, encircling it slow and gentle, conjuring a dull and explosive ache. She smiled gleefully.</p><p>“Show me,” I managed, my breath already thready and thick with curiosity and pleasure. Conversation was quickly becoming more than I could manage. “I want to see.”</p><p>“Be careful what you wish for,” she said, smiling like a vixen.</p><p>She straddled me, leaning down and delicately taking one nipple in her mouth. Slowly, almost gently, she applied tongue and teeth, alternating like Earth making revolutions around the sun. She alternated between taking it in her mouth and then pulling back to lightly run her tongue around the outside of the nipple. She gave one breast attention before moving to the other.</p><p>My nerves were on fire.</p><p>She was much smaller and lighter than I anticipated, but still managed a commanding presence. She sat up victoriously and leaned down, her mouth consuming mine. Our dog tags clinked like glasses in salute as our breasts met, soft and warm.</p><p>I felt passion and strength in her as we connected, skin-to-skin, as she brushed her body needfully against mine. I wrapped my legs around her waist and my arms around her upper back, securing myself against the small earthquake I felt forming.</p><p>Like Shakespeare said, Though she be but little, she is fierce.<br/>[Janet: Coffee]</p><p>I awoke sometime later. Sam was there, her tall frame wrapped around mine protectively, guarding me from all threats. We were naked, wearing only our dog tags, but the heat of her against my back made me comfortable in the early Colorado morning. It was only 0600, but it was unclear whether last night would translate into something awkward or uncomfortable.</p><p>“Go back to sleep. It’s Saturday,” Sam murmured, kissing my shoulder. My soldier was awake, watching me while I slept. “I know you’re awake.”</p><p>I turned to face her, finding her beautiful in the morning light. She managed to look adorable first thing, all bedhead and a certain charm. You woke up that way, I marveled to myself.</p><p>“You’re actually here,” With a sleepy smile, she reached over and toyed with my hair. My hand found her hip and rested there.</p><p>“I told you I would be,” she purred with a radiant smile. I laid there gazing into her eyes, thinking for a moment.</p><p>“What do we do now?” I asked, drawing lazy patterns on her hip. She watched my hand, smiling gently as she considered the question.</p><p>“Mmm. Coffee?”</p><p>“Yes, and soon, but I was thinking more long-term,” Her eyebrows creased in thought. “What about work? We can’t publicly be together and keep our jobs,” I said sadly.</p><p>We solidified a relationship so long in the making, but there were obstacles to consider. Discrimination and homophobia in the military loomed like storm clouds on the horizon.</p><p>“I fought my way back from the dead for you,” Sam said with a yawn. “The Air Force isn’t going to hold me back now.”</p><p>“You’re right, they won’t.” Determination in my voice, I reached for my dog tags, running my thumb over the smooth metal, the embossed writing. “I’ll resign my post. I’ll leave the Air Force and go civilian.”</p><p>“Hold on, Jan,” Sam sat up, the blanket falling down to her waist.</p><p>“Sam, please,” I begged, cutting her off. “SG1 needs you. Jack, Daniel, Teal’c, and Hammond need you.” She looked lost in thought, her eyes met mine again a moment later. “It comes down to choosing between the US Air Force or you. I choose you.”</p><p>Her fingers reached for my tags and she carefully, almost sadly, touched them.</p><p>“I know how much it means to you.” She knew I had left my husband because he didn't want me to join the military. “You can’t throw away your career.”</p><p>“I could say the same about you," I replied, and she had the grace to look guilty. “I meant every word I said when you were in the coma. I knew in my heart, if it ever happened, I might have to leave the Air Force.” She looked sadly at the blanket. It was my turn to lift her chin to look at me.</p><p>“You’d do that?” Sam asked softly, tears pooling in her eyes. I reached up to brush some unruly locks of hair from her forehead.</p><p>“To be with you? Absolutely."</p><p>"You're not afraid?" Sam asked, and I shrugged. What we started last night wasn't going to be without one struggle or another.</p><p>"Are you?" I questioned. She thought about it for a long second before she shook her head.</p><p>“What about Cassie?”</p><p>I wondered how long it would take to mention my adopted daughter. Sam and Cassie were close. Sam had rescued Cassie and found her a home when she couldn’t take Cassie in herself.</p><p>When Sam was in the coma, I told Cassie about Sam’s condition and the possibility she might not survive. I confided in Cassie about my feelings for Sam and she surprised me by telling me she considered Sam her other parent. She asked when I was going to tell Sam how I felt.</p><p>“Long story short, we’ve talked about it. She approves.”</p><p>“Janet-- “</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>A smirk stretched across Sam’s face. She kissed me hard and hungry, reclining me onto the bed. One hand tangled in my hair while the other traced a jagged line down to my chest, cupping the nearest breast as our tongues began to speak their own language.</p><p>The coffee would have to wait a bit longer.</p><p>[Sam: Tact/Timing]</p><p>The morning sunlight lit Janet up as we lay there, tangled in her comforter. I guessed it was around 0900 from the way the rays entered through the blinds, if I had calculated correctly the angle of the sun’s rise. I craned my head to look at the clock on Janet's nightstand and smirked. 9:06. Not bad, Doctor Carter.</p><p>I'm commonly seen as an Air Force Special Ops soldier, but I also have a PhD in Astrophysics; I'm badass but I can do nerdy stuff, too. My job is perfect and I love it because I can be Major Samantha Carter, PhD. I can travel to the other side of the Universe and blow shit up. I met the version of me that didn't join the Air Force and she was boring. That Carter wouldn't be lying here, a beautiful woman in her arms.</p><p>Janet fell asleep after our exertions. I watched her adoringly. She’s so damn tiny, but she’s also a soldier. She wields a rifle and scalpel with equal accuracy and precision. She’s fragile and sharp like a double-edged sword. The duality applied to her as a lover also. She tenderly cuts me down to size. I don’t really understand how I got so lucky.</p><p>As if she could read minds, Janet stirred in my arms.</p><p>“Sam?” she sleepily murmured.</p><p>“I’m still here,” I softly replied. She turned and faced me, smiling through the haze of sleep.</p><p>We never got that coffee.</p><p>She snuggled against me, her head resting on my shoulder while her hand lazily roamed across my belly. We may never get out of her bed, but that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to happen.</p><p>I was going to suggest we get out of bed and get coffee. I was pleasantly exhausted, famished, and smelled like sex. Food and a shower wasn’t a terrible idea.</p><p>“You still want that coffee, don’t you?” Janet mumbled against my skin. I chuckled, depositing a kiss on the top of her head.</p><p>“Can you read minds?”</p><p>“This defies any sort of sense, but since last night, I feel like I can. I’m in tune with your thoughts.”</p><p>I wanted some sort of romantic follow-up, but the front door slamming shut put us both on alert. We looked at each other, frozen like deer in the headlights.</p><p>“Mom?” Cassie’s voice rose, calling through the house. "Are you awake?"</p><p>Footsteps thudded dully on the stairs. Before we could move, the door was thrust open. Teenagers weren't known for tact or timing.</p><p>Cassie stood there in the doorway, stunned by the sight of us in bed. Together. She blinked, taking in our scattered clothes and flushed countenances beneath bedsheets and smirked to herself.</p><p>"I thought that was your bike in the driveway, Sam," Cassie said, a sly grin at the corner of her mouth. I gave her a wave, retreating further under the blanket. This was more mortifying than my dad catching me making out with a boy the summer before high school.</p><p>"Could you give us a minute, Cass?" Janet requested meekly, pulling the blanket higher over us. "Maybe fifteen or twenty?"</p><p>Cassie looked down, her eyes drawn to my bra laying close by, conveniently located next to Janet's underwear. Cassie nodded and began to close the door.</p><p>"I'll put some coffee on," she chuckled to herself before the door closed.</p><p>"Well, shit," Janet muttered, throwing the blanket off and sitting up. With a sigh, she stood stiffly and began gathering our clothes. I crawled from the warm bed after her, stretching out the kinks and tension. Janet paused, arms loaded with our clothes, and pulled me towards the bathroom. "We need a shower. We reek of sex."</p><p>I nodded dumbly and let her guide me.</p><p>"I thought she was fine with this," I stated, observing my naked form in the bathroom mirror. Janet turned on the shower. I squinted, noting a bite mark on my collarbone and hickies on my neck.</p><p>"I hoped we could tell her under better circumstances," She explained, taking my arm and pulling me into the shower. "Not naked in bed, smelling like an orgy."</p><p>"I like the way our sex smells," I said proudly as she worked up a lather of soap on her washcloth. "Besides, it’s not as if she knows what an orgy smells like." She smirked before pulling me under the stream of water, putting the bar of soap and another washcloth in my hand.</p><p>"Wash your ass, Carter," she teased, smacking my ass, the sound ricocheting throughout the shower. It wasn't the appropriate response, but I laughed anyway, leaning against the wall of the shower.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am. Sorry, Major Fraiser,” I said with a salute before dissolving into laughter. Janet eyed me from the corner of her eye, smiling. I considered how awkward it would be with Cassie, since she’d caught us in bed. “I hope Cassie doesn’t think less of me.”</p><p>“Why would she?” Janet demanded, finally able to stop laughing. “You know she loves you.”</p><p>“She caught us in bed,” I hissed, feeling the embarrassment set my face afire as I rinsed the soap off. “She knows I fucked you.”</p><p>Janet rolled her eyes, not as burdened with the thought as I was.</p><p>“She considers you her other parent,” Janet confided, switching me spots under the water so she could rinse. “I know it’s tragic for a teenager, but sometimes parents have sex. We’re human.” I smiled at the thought of being a member of their family, more than just ‘Sam’, becoming a partner to Janet and a parent to Cassie.</p><p>Samantha Carter, the lonely misfit incapable of being loved, had managed to piece together a family of her own.</p><p>[Janet: Family Court]</p><p>We went downstairs, trying to avoid detection. We were as stealth as we were trained, quietly inching towards the kitchen. Sam’s desire for coffee had rubbed off on me. I wanted at least a cup before dealing with my daughter. Our daughter.</p><p>Our mission failed, as Cassie was waiting for us in the kitchen, two cups of coffee waiting, steaming and inviting.</p><p>“Mom, Sam,” She acknowledged us as we came in, sliding the cups towards us.</p><p>“Thanks, sweetie,” I said, reaching for the coffee. Sam was right behind me, pressed against me, an arm wrapped around my waist, reaching for her coffee with the other arm.</p><p>“So, Mom,” Cassie began, leaning against the counter. “You finally told her?” I could feel Sam’s smirk behind me.</p><p>“Yeah, kiddo,” I answered, leaning back into Sam. “I’m sure you can tell things are different between us.” Cassie’s eyebrow arched. She wasn’t abandoning her interrogation. She scrutinized Sam for a few seconds before her other eyebrow raised up.</p><p>"Are those hickies, Sam?" Sam cleared her throat and diverted her eyes down, finding her coffee cup suddenly interesting.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam softly answered. Cassie then turned her gaze back to me.</p><p>"Seriously, Mom?"</p><p>“Are you not OK with this, Cass?” I asked worriedly.</p><p>“I’m totally fine with it, I just have questions.”</p><p>I could feel Sam tense behind me.</p><p>“Well, ask. We need to be on the same page.” Cassie mulled this over carefully before she spoke again.</p><p>“Do Uncle Jack and Uncle Daniel know? Is it okay for my friends to know? Is Sam going to live with us? What do I call her? Do I call her Mom or can I just keep calling her Sam?”</p><p>Holy shit.</p><p>Sam leaned down to whisper low in my ear. “Have you taught her interrogation techniques?” I exhaled heavily.</p><p>“Right now, you’re the only one who knows. No one at work knows because it just happened. The Air Force isn’t receptive to situations like ours, so it may be awhile until we can tell your Uncles. I may even have to leave the Air Force.” I craned my head back to look up at Sam. She smiled encouragingly and spoke up.</p><p>“We can discuss living together in the future. This is still very new, Cass. I want you to feel comfortable calling me whatever you want. I’ve been told you see me as another parent, but I don’t expect you to call me Mom. You already have one.”</p><p>Cassie thought about this for a moment.</p><p>“OK.” She seemed to be taking this in and handling it well. Maybe we were freaked out for nothing. “I think I’m just going to keep calling you Sam.”</p><p>“That works for me,” Sam replied with a smile.</p><p>“Mom and Sam,” Cassie said, letting the words marinate and reverberate around the kitchen. She then smiled widely. “Just one more thing.”</p><p>“What’s that?” I asked, as Sam left a kiss on my temple.</p><p>“I’m sorry about barging in.” Sam shrank behind me, as if she could possibly hide her tall frame with my smaller one. “I’ll knock next time.”</p><p>“Are you sure it doesn’t bother you?” Sam asked from her hiding space. “I don’t want it to be awkward that I’m--”</p><p>“--Having sex with my Mom?” Cassie finished. Sam groaned and I closed my eyes and rubbed at my forehead.</p><p>“I was going to say in love with your Mom,” Sam said meekly. “But that works, too.”</p><p>"Are you going to treat her right?" Cassie asked, crossing her arms across her chest.</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," Sam replied, taking my hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. Cassie looked at me.</p><p>"You're happy, Mom?"</p><p>"Very happy," I answered with a smile.</p><p>"Well, then I'm happy, too," Cassie said with finality. She came around to the other side of the counter and gave me a kiss on the cheek and Sam a big hug. "I have some homework to start on."</p><p>Then she was gone, bounding up the stairs to her room.</p><p>Teenagers.</p><p>[Sam: 18 Hours Later]</p><p>I had spent all weekend at Janet’s and had no desire to leave, very comfortable by her side on the porch swing. It had been a memorable weekend, spent making love, eating, sleeping in each other’s arms, and hanging out with Cassie.</p><p>“It’s so nice tonight,” Janet murmured, taking my hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze. “It’s a shame we have to work tomorrow.” She shifted a bit next to me, uneasy about something.</p><p>“You worried about going back to SGC tomorrow?”</p><p>“Well, yeah.”</p><p>“Why?” I asked, my brow furrowed in worry. “We don’t need to announce our relationship to everyone tomorrow. It's not like we're going to look different to them or anything.”</p><p>“I know, but how long are we going to be able to keep this to ourselves?” She answered. “How long until we’re outed?”</p><p>I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I didn’t have a plan when I jumped on my bike Friday night and came over, and I certainly don’t have a plan now. She had a point though: We were going to have to deal with work.</p><p>“I don’t know, Jan,” I sighed, fixing my gaze where the stars appeared above the streaks of orange and pink sky. “I hate not having the answer, but I just don’t know.”</p><p>“I will resign if I have to.”</p><p>I had no doubt.</p><p>“I know. I don’t like it, but I know,” It was total bullshit that Janet resigning was the strongest play we had. She was determined to do it and it would be futile to try to convince her otherwise.</p><p>“I’ll do whatever I have to,” She leaned her head on my shoulder and continued watching the sunset. “I’m serious, Sam.” The tiny doctor was a force to be reckoned with, and she was serious. Serious about us.</p><p>The silence stretched out as the sun faded.</p><p>I began to imagine what the future might hold, as a couple, as a family. I envisioned lazy weekends with Janet snuggled up against me as we wound down on Sunday nights. Helping Cassie with her physics homework. Having the guys over for a cookout.</p><p>“You’re thinking pretty loudly, love,” Janet whispered, breaking me from my reverie. “What are you thinking about?” My lips curved in a smile and I placed a kiss on her forehead.</p><p>“How hot you look in your battle dress uniform.”</p><p>She paused for just a moment to gauge if I was serious before she snorted out a laugh. “Really, Sam?”</p><p>“I was thinking about us.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p>“I was thinking about sharing my life with you.”</p><p>“What’s the verdict, Major?” I brought our joined hands up to my lips and kissed the back of her hand.</p><p>“I love you, Doctor Fraiser,” I murmured. She sat up a bit to look at me.</p><p>“Do you have any evidence to support your findings?”</p><p>“Overwhelming evidence.”</p><p>She shifted again, straddling my lap and facing me. She leaned down, kissing me softly, slowly, as if committing it to memory. She pulled back and smiled down at me.</p><p>“That’s all I need to know,” she spoke softly, her lips pressing to mine again in a sweet, brief exchange. “I love you, too, Doctor Carter.”</p><p>"Do you have proof to back up that claim?" I asked.</p><p>"Substantial."</p><p>I wondered how I had gone all these months, all these years without her kisses. How had I gotten by without her?</p><p>“I have a confession,” I said, my hands finding purchase at her hips and holding on as if she might run away. “I daydreamed about moments like this, with you. Holding hands, being together. It got me through tough missions when I was off planet.”</p><p>She smiled knowingly.</p><p>“I did the same thing,” she replied shyly, which amused me to no end. Being bashful at this juncture was absolutely adorable. “Your face was the first thing I saw whenever I was hurt, whenever I was scared. I held onto you like a life vest.”</p><p>I hugged her to me, inhaling the night air perfume.</p><p>“It was your voice that guided me out of my coma,” I murmured into her hair. “I knew that when I heard you talking to me, that I had to fight. I had to get back to you. I had so much to tell you.”</p><p>“It took you three months to tell me that you heard my confession.” she teased, and in the dim light of early dusk, she looked devilish as she smiled at me.</p><p>“Better late than never,” I teased back, unable to keep from mirroring her smile. I reached up, bending her chin down to me as our lips met. We tangled together like tree branches in a hurricane, giggling as we tried to pull apart.</p><p>Suddenly, the patio door slid open and Cassie rushed out.</p><p>“Mom! Sam! Gawd!” Cassie cried. “You two are like teenagers. Even the kids at school don’t make out all over the place.”</p><p>Busted. Again.</p><p>Janet swung off me and stood, stretching all five-feet-two of her. Rubbing my face with my palms, I also stood, looking at the ground to avoid Cassie’s gaze.</p><p>“Sorry, Cass,” Janet meekly answered, tugging at the bottom of her shirt. “We’ll try to contain ourselves.”</p><p>“Anyway,” Cassie said, crossing her arms. “I’m going to start dinner, and it should be ready in about forty minutes.” Cassie looked back and forth between Janet and I. “If you’re not too busy making out in the backyard to join me.”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “We will report, as ordered, in forty minutes.” With a smirk, Cassie turned and went back into the house.</p><p>“You know, at this rate Cassie is going to be grounding me for my behavior,” Janet muttered.</p><p>“Me too,” I chortled, and Janet leaned against me. I gladly wrapped my arms around her. “But I really should be on better behavior around Cassie.”</p><p>"We are acting like teenagers," Janet sighed.</p><p>"You’ve got my brain scrambled and overloaded," Janet turned and faced me, a smirk on her lips.</p><p>"Oh, so this is my fault?" I grabbed her waist and pulled her close.</p><p>"You're just so damn sexy," I growled into her ear. "I can't help that you've got me under your spell."</p><p>Because we hadn’t learned our lesson, she attacked my lips with hers. With a groan, I reached around and grabbed her by the ass, lifting her up easily. Her legs wrapped around me, never breaking the kiss. We were like divers who never wanted to resurface.</p><p>“Jan?” I muttered into her lips. She stopped her attack and blinked at me, holding onto my arms.</p><p>“Wha?” She replied, looking rather dazed. I snickered, letting her down to the ground carefully and leaving a kiss on her forehead.</p><p>“We really should stop making out in the backyard and go inside to spend some time with Cassie.” Janet shook her head quickly, as if to clear some cobwebs away.</p><p>“I’m sorry. All this has me scattered, too,” she said softly. I sighed, smiling at her. “Not that I’m complaining.” I reached over and ran my thumb over a flushed cheek.</p><p>“You feel that oxytocin?” I knew that the good Doctor would know what I meant.</p><p>Oxytocin. The love hormone.</p><p>“Mmmhmm.” Janet’s eyes became heavy and lidded as I continued to caress her cheek.</p><p>“Oh yeah. You’re a goner.” She opened her eyes to look at me, and I started giggling.</p><p>“Oh, shut up, Sam. You know you’re just as bad as I am.”</p><p>“Possibly worse. You’ve got me totally wrapped around your finger.” I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. “Now, come on, let's go inside.”</p><p>“If you insist,” Janet sighed, a reluctant smile on her face. She followed me inside the house, our hands incapable of not touching. As we joined Cassie in the kitchen, I looked around and realized that I felt right here, with them.</p><p>I wasn’t sure how long the honeymoon phase would last, but we were intent on enjoying every glorious moment while it lasted. We were already a well-formed family unit and we had all the time in this world to find out exactly what that means.</p><p>It was as close to a happy ending as I could ever hope to get.</p>
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